Fixed plane film guiding means for viewing and projection devices



J. C. HAELEN FIXED PLANE FILM GUIDING MEANS FOR VIEWING Aug. 15, 1950 AND PROJECTION DEVICES Filed 001;. 17, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l JOHN C. HALL E/Y TT RNEYS i i INWOZ? Bym Aug. 15, 1950 J. c. HAELEN 2,518,682

. FIXED PLANE FILM GUIDING MEANS FOR VIEWING AND PROJECTION DEVICES Filed Oct. l7, 1947 2 Sheefs-Sheet 2 JOHN C. HAELEN INVEN OR ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 15, 1950 FIXED PLANE FILM GUIDING MEANS FOR VIEWING AND PROJECTION DEVICES John C. Haelen, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Claims. 1

This invention relates to film handling apparatus and more particularly to an arrangement for guiding a film strip through a fixed plane during movement thereof and also for holding the film strip in a fixed plane during viewing or projection of the film strip.

In certain types of film handling apparatus, such as film readers, it has been customary to hold the film strip between two glass flats during the projection of a particular frame of the film upon the screen. When the film strip is moved for viewing the next or succeedingframes, one of the flats is usually moved with respect to the other in conjunction with the film moving means to eliminate scratching the film and to allow the film strip to be moved freely in either direction between the flats and across the projection aperture. This arrangement necessitates some lost" motion in the drive for the film strip so that the fiat will be raised before the film is moved. As soon as the film strip is moved it assumes a pos'ition which is no longer in the focal plane of the objective and, as a result, presents a blurred image on the screen. Attempts have been made to eliminate the blurred image on the screen during movement of the film strip by moving the objective toward the film strip so that the film strip will remain substantially in the focal plane of the objective. To accomplish this, however, additional parts are necessary and the objective must be mounted for movement along its optical axis.

In the present invention, parts are actually eliminated and the entire structure simplified by providing two concentric glass flats which hold the film strip therebetween in the focal plane of the objective at all times. The flats are free to rotate and are spaced apart by an amount about .001 of an inch greater than the film strip thickness. The film strip is held between the glass flats due to the inherent curl of the film strip which exerts a pressure on the inner surfaces of the flats so that when the film strip is moved,

the friction between the flats and the film strip will cause the fiats to rotate. When the film strip is moved between the rotating glass flats, an ever changing location of contact results between the surface of the film strip and the fiats. The nature of this motion is such that any accumulation of foreign material or minute particles of emulsion on the film strip are removed as the film strip passes between the rotating flats. This arrangement also permits a firm drive, that is, one in which there is very little, if any, lost mo tion in the movement of the film strip. Tests Application October 17, 1947, Serial No. 780,503 1 2 made with this arrangement have shown that a film strip moved back and forth 23,000 times between a pair of rotating glass flats was still in good usable condition.

The primary object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a film handling apparatus having a guide means for always maintaining the film strip in the focal plane of the optical system.

A further object of the invention is to provide a film handling apparatus in which the film strip is moved between two concentric, rotatable, spaced, members for engaging the film strip and adapted to be rotated upon movement of the film strip.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a film handling apparatus in which the film strip is moved between two concentric, rotatable, spaced, transparent members for engaging and holding the film strip in the focal plane of the optical system and which 'are adapted to be rotated upon movement of the film strip.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a film handling apparatus in which the film strip is moved between two concentric, rotatable, spaced, glass discs for engaging and holding the film in the focal plane of the optical system and which are adapted to be rotated upon movement of the film strip.

And still another object of the invention is to provide a film handling apparatus in which the film strip is moved between two concentric, rotatable, spaced, glass discs, said discs being arranged upon separate axes in overlapping relationship for engaging and holding the film strip in the focal plane of the optical system and adapted to be rotated upon movement of the film strip.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description which follows.

The objects of the invention are embodied in a film reader which comprises a casing having a front wall and a top wall, a housing including a light source mounted on said casing, an objective mounted on said top wall, a mirror within said casing for directing the image projected by said objective onto said screen, a film handling means on said top wall including two spaced, rotatable members for supporting a film strip, means for driving the rotatable members in either direction for moving the film strip through the focal plane of said objective, and a guide means including two rotatable, spaced concentric glass discs for engaging and holding the film strip therebetween in the focal plane of said objective I amaeee is and adapted to be rotated upon movement of the film strip.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals desi nate like parts and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a film reader in which the invention is incorporated and which shows the film handling means 90 out of the normal projecting position;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the top of the film reader with the lamp housing removed to more clearly show the invention;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and shows the relation of the glass flats to the objective and a portion of the drive for the reel spindles;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 and shows the arrangement for mounting the glass flats;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of another embodiment of the invention and shows the glass flats mounted uponseparate axes in overlapping relationship;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5 and shows the arrangement. for mounting the glass flats upon separate axes;

Fig. '1 is a side elevation of the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 and shows the arrangement for edge guiding the film strip when the glass flats are mounted on separate axes; and

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of another embodiment of the invention in which the fllm strip engages only a single glass fiat.

Although the present disclosure of the invention is described as being embodied in a film reader or projector, it shall be understood that this invention may also be applied to many and various other types of film handling apparatus.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the film handling apparatus or film reader it} comprises a casing II, a rotatable film handling means i2, and a lamp house l3. The casing H has a base I4, side walls i5, a rear wall It part of which is pivotally mounted on the hinge l1, and a front wall i8 which is provided with an opening for a translucent screen IS. A top wall or plate 20 is riveted, or secured in some similar manner, to the casing H and has mounted thereon an objective member 2 I.

A mirror 22 is mounted on a plate 23 which is hinged to the base l4 and functions to reflect the image-received from the objective member 2! onto the screen is. A light-baffling frame may be mounted inside the casing H adjacent the front wall I8 so that when the plate 23 is swung against the frame, the interior of the casing is shielded against any light entering through the screen [9. With this arrangement, the projecting apparatus may be used as a projection enlarger, as is more fully disclosed in U. S. Patent 2,279,463, granted April 14, 1942 to Roy S. Hopkins.

A curved bracket 24 is secured to the plate 20 and carries the lamp house l3 in which the light source 25 and the condenser lenses 26 are mounted for directing a beam of light downwardly into the objective member 2|, see Fig. 1.

The film handling means l2 comprises a circular caplike frame 21 provided with an internal cavity 28 and an internal annular V-shaped groove 29. The frame'21 has a circular flange 30 which is provided with notches 3| located in quadrature and with an annular recess 32 adjacent said circular flange 30. The spaced, rotatable members or spindles 33 and 34 are rotatable mounted in respective ends of the housing 35, being preferably journalled within bear-' lngs formed integral with the housing 35. Film holders or reels 3% and 31 are positioned on the spindles 33 and 36, respectively. A guide roller 38 is rotatably mounted on frame 21 between the spindle-33 and the film guide means, designated broadly by the numeral 39, and a second guide roller 40 is rotatably mounted on frame 21 between the film guide means 39 and the spindie 34, see Figs. 2 and 3.

Since the objective 2i is mounted on the wall 20 and since the film guide means is mounted on the frame 21, it is extremely important that the mounting means for rotatably supporting the frame 21 maintains the film strip F in the focal plane of the objective 2i To this end, see Fig. 2, the frame 21 is provided'with the internal annular groove 29 which has a contour complementary in shape to the peripheries of a plurality of rollers 6i mounted on the wall 20. It will be noted that the rollers 4i and groove 29 are arranged, respectively, on wall 26 and in the frame 21 so that the frame 21 can be rotated concentrically with respect to the objective 2i, or so that the axis of rotation coincides with th optical axis through the objective. A more detailed description of the mounting may be had by reference to the above-mentioned patent" The means for moving the film strip F through the focal plane of the objection comprises a drive means within the casing H which is con nected to a drive within the housing 35 for rotating the spindles 33 and 36. The drive means in the casing comprises a winding member 62 having a handle 43, shown in the folded position in Fig. 1, and is mounted externally of casing ii on one endof shaft 44 which is journalled in theside wall l5. A sprocket 45 is mounted on the inner end of shaft 44 within casing ii and engages a chain 68 encircling a sprocket ti on a shaft 48 also journalled in the wall l5. A larger sprocket 49 is also mounted on shaft (is and is encircled by an endless drive member or chain 50. A bracket 5| is secured to the underside of the plate 20 and includes bearing lugs 52 and [a sleeve portion 53. A shaft 54 is rotatably supported in the lugs 52 and carries on one end a sprocket 55 and on the other end a mitre gear 56. A stub shaft-51 is journalled in the sleeve 53 and carrier on its lower end a mitre gear 58 in mesh with the gear 56 and on its upper end a pinion 59. A pair of idler supports comprising grooved rollers 60 and 6| are mounted on bracket 5| on opposite sides of shaft 54 and maintain the chain 50- in engagement with the sprocket 55 without permitting appreciable slack in the chain 50. Thus it will be seen that upon rotation of the winding member 42 by handle 43, the shaft 44, chain 46, sprocket 41 will be rotated: In turn, large sprocket 49, chain 50, sprocket 55,

shaft 54, mitre gear 58, mitre gear 58, shaft 51,.

driving connections fromthe clutch members to I the spindles 33 and 34. The ring member 62, see Fig. 3, is rotatably mounted on the cylindrical sleeve 83 secured to the frame 21 by means of the ball bearing mounting 64. The ring member 62 is provided with a toothed periphery 65 tion 86 for meshing with the pinion 81 forming apart of the clutch assembly 88. The clutch assembly 68 is located between the sprockets I and II, see Fig. 2, for selectively driving either spindle 88 or 84, depending on-the direction in which the winding member 42 is rotated. The

endless chains I2 and I3 connect the sprockets I0 and II with the sprockets on the spindles 88 and 84, respectively.

The operation of the complete winding means including the elements in the casing and on the frame 21 will now be described. when the winding member 42 is rotated in a clockwise direction,

as. indicated by the arrow in Fig. I. the sprocket 48, the chain 48, and the sprockets 41 and 48 are in the direction indicated bythe arrows in Fig. 1 so that the sprocket 55, shaft 64, and mitre gear 56 are rotated in a counter-clockwise direction,

and the initre gear 58, shaft 51 and pinion 58 are rotated in a clockwise direction. By virtue of the pinion 58 meshing with the toothed periphery 66 of the ring member 62, the ring member is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction. The movement of the ring member 62' is transmitted through the crown gear 86 and the pinion 61 to the clutch assembly 68 so that the chain 12 drives the sprocket connected to the spindle 83, thereby permitting the'spindle 34 to turn freely. As a result, upon clockwise movement vof the member 42, the film strip F will be moved to the left, in Fig. 2, and will be wound upon the reel 86. Conversely, when the winding member 42 is rotated in the opposite direction, all of the winding elements are moved in the opposite direction, and the clutch assembly 68 then changes the drive to the spindle 34 and permits the spindle 83 and reel 86 to turn freely. The film strip will then be moved to the right, in Fig. 2, and wound upon the reel 81. v

The guide means for engaging and holding the film strip F in the focal plane ofthe objective 2| is shown in the preferred embodiment in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. In this arrangement the film strip F is held between the glass discs 15 and I6 which are mounted in position on the shelf 11 of the housing 35. The discs 15 and 16 are mounted on the shaft I8 which has one end journalled in the bearing I8 in the plate 88 and the other end journalled in the bearing 8I in the plate 82. The plates 88 and 82 are maintained in spaced relation by the spacer block 83 and both plates and the, block are secured by the screws 84 to the shelf TI. The shaft I8 is provided with a flange 85 against which the disc I6 is positioned. The disc I5 is spaced from the disc 16 by the flange 86 on the bushing 81. The flange thickness should be slightly greater than the film strip thickness and in tests made it was found that a flange thickness .001 of an inch greater than the film strip thickness worked satisfactorily. A compression spring 88 is provided between the washers 88 to maintain both discs in intimate contact with the flanges 85 and 86, and for this reason the overall length of the bushing 81 is made slightly less than the sum of the thickness of the discs 15 and I6 and the flange 86. The spring 88 permits the disc I5 to move relative to the disc I8 when a splice in the film passes therebetween. The inherent curl in the film strip F insures sufficient friction between the film strip and the inner surfaces of the discs so that as the film strip is moved, the discs I5 and 16 are rotated thereby so that the film strip F is always in ISIS the focal plane of the objective 2| whether-being projected or beingmoved from one reel to the other. Needless to say, it is of the utmost importance that the discs be mounted upon bearings that will provide as little friction as possible in order to permit the discs to turn very freely when the film strip is moved.

As shown in Fig. 4, the flange 86 serves two purposes, namely, it spaces the discs 15 and I6 from each other by an amount slightly greater than the film strip thickness and its periphery engages the edge of the film strip F to serve as an edge guide for the film strip.

In Figs. 5 and 6 a second embodiment of the invention is disclosed in which the discs I5 and 16 are mounted upon separate axes and lie in overlapping relationship to engage and hold the fllm strip F therebetween. The disc I8 is clamped between the flange 88 ofthe bushing 8i and the washer 82 by the turned over end 83 of the stub shaft 84. The shaft 84 is mounted in the bearing 88 in the plate 86 which is secured to the shelf II by the screws I03. In a like manner, the disc I6 is clamped between the flange 81 of the bushing 88 and the washer 88 by the turned over end I00 of the stub shaft IOI. The shaft IN is shorter in length than the shaft 84 by an amount suflicient to give the proper clearance between the discs I5 and 16 for the film. The shaft IOI is also mounted in a bearing I02 in the plate 86. The plate 86 is provided with an aperture I84 for the projected image. As in the preferred embodiment, the washer 88 and the flange 88 may be made sufficiently large to maintain the proper spacing between the discs I5 and I6 and serve as edge'guides for the film strip, see Fig. 7. The discs I5 or I6 may also be mounted in a springbiased manner toallow one disc to move relative to the other to accommodate splices or to make insertion of the film strip easier.

The third embodiment, shown in Fig. 8, discloses the use of a single disc I which is mounted on the plate I06 in a manner similar to that shown for the discs I5 or I6 in Fig. 6. In this case, the catinary pressure of the film strip is sufficient to cause the disc I85 to rotate as the film is moved in either direction.

In all of the embodiments, the rotation of the discs when the film strip is moved tends to clean or remove any foreign particles from the film due to the ever changing location of contact between the film and the discs as well as maintaining the film strip at all times in the focal plane of the optical system. While in all of the embodiments and in the above description, the discs have been referred to as glass discs, it is to be understood that a transparent plastic material or some similar transparent material may also be used. It is also possible that any one of the embodiments may be used at some point along the film path other than at the projecting or viewing station. In such cases the discs could be opaque and could be made from metal that might be highly polished or chromium plated or from an opaque plastic material as well as glass.

Since these other modifications of the invention are possible, the scope of the invention is not to be limited to the illustrated embodiment but is defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a film handling apparatus, the combination with a film handling means including two spaced, rotatable members for supporting a film strip, of a guide means between said members and including two transparent rotatable members having opposed plane surfaces for engaging the film strip, and means for maintaining said plane surfaces in spaced relation at a distance substrip, of a guide means between said members and including two transparent rotatable plane members for engaging the film strip therebetween and rotatable upon movement of said film strip, and spacing means between said rotatable plane members for maintaining said members in spaced relation at a distance slightly greater than the film strip thickness and adapted to be rotated upon movement of said film strip and" to edge guide the filmstrip.

3. In a film handling apparatus, the combination with a film handling means including two spaced, rotatable members for supporting a film strip, of a guide means between said members and including two transparent concentric, members having opposed plane surfaces for engaging the'film strip therebetween and adapted to be rotated upon movement of said film strip, and spacing means between said members for maintaining said plane surfaces in spaced rela-v tion at a distance substantially equal to but not less than the thickness of said film strip and adapted to rotate with said members.

4. In a film handling apparatus, the combination with a film handling apparatus including two spaced, rotatable members for supporting a film strip, of a guide means between said members and including two concentric glass discs having plane surfaces for engaging the film strip therebetween and adapted to be rotated upon movement of said film strip, and spacing means between said glass discs for maintaining said discs in spaced relation at a distance substantially equal to but not less than the film strip thickness and adapted to be rotated with said glass discs and to edge guide the fihn strip. i, g

5. In a film handling apparatus, the combination with a film handling means including two spaced, rotatable members for supporting a film strip, of a guide means between said members and including two transparent members, said transparent members being arranged upon sep arate axes and in overlapping relationship and having opposed plane surfaces for engaging the film strip therebetween and adapted to be rotated upon the movement of the film strip, and means for maintaining said plane surfaces in spaced relation at a distance substantially equal to but not less than the thickness of said film strip.

'6. In a film handling apparatus, the combina-; tion with a film handling means including two' spaced, rotatable members for supporting a film strip, of a guide means between said members and including two spaced, transparent members, said transparent members being arranged upon separate axes in overlapping relationship and having opposed plane surfaces for engaging the film strip therebetween and adapted to be rotated upon the movement of the film strip, and spacing means on each axis for'maintaining said plane surfaces in spaced relation at a distance substantially equal to but not less than the thickness of said film strip and adapted to rotate with said transparent member.

'1. In a film handling apparatus, the combination with a screen, a light source, an objectivebetween said screen and said light source for 8 projecting an image on said screen, and a film handling means including two spaced, rotatable members for moving a filmstrip through the focal plane of said objective, of a guide means between said members and including two rotatable transparent members having opposed plane surfaces for engaging and holding the film strip therebetween in the focal plane of said objective and adapted to be rotated upon movement of the film strip, and spacing means for maintaining said plane surfaces in spaced relation at a distance substantially equal to but not less than the thickness of the film strip and adapted to rotate with said transparent members.

8. In a film handling apparatus, the combina- I tion with a screen, a light source, an objective between said screen and said light source for projecting an image on said screen, and a film' adapted to be rotated upon movement of the film strip, and spacing means for maintaining said plane surfaces in spaced relation at a distance substantially equal to but not less than the thickness of the fihn strip and for edge guiding said film strip and adapted to be rotated with said glass discs,

9. In a film handling apparatus, the combination with a screen, -a light source, an objective between said screen and said light source for projecting an image on said screen, and a film handling means including two spaced, rotatable members for moving a film strip through the focal plane of said objective, of a guide means between said members and including two transparent members, said transparent members being arranged upon separate axes in overlapping relationship and having opposed plane surfaces for in spaced relation at a distance substantially equal to but not less than the thickness of said film strip.

10. In a film reader, the combination with a casing having a front wall and a top wall, a housing mounted on said casing and including a light source, a screen on said front wall, an objective mounted, on said top wall, a mirror within said casing for directing the image projected by said objective onto said screen, a film handling means on said top wall and including two spaced, rotatable members for supporting a film strip, and means for driving said rotatable members in either direction for moving the film strip through thefocal plane of said objective, of a guide means between said .rotatable members and includng two concentric-transparent members having opposed plane surfaces for engaging and holding 76 source, a screen on said front wall, an objective 9 mounted on said top wall, a mirror within said casing for directing the image projected by said objective onto said screen, a film handling means on said top wall and including two spaced, rotatable members for supporting a film strip, and means for driving said rotatable members in either direction for moving the film strip through the focal plane of said objective, of a guide means between said rotatable members and including two rotatable, concentric, glass discs having 'opposed plane surfaces for engaging and holding the film strip therebetween in the focal plane of said objective and adapted to be rotated upon movement of the film strip, and spacing means between said rotatable glass discs for maintaining'said plane surfaces in spaced relation at a distance substantially equal to butnot less than the thickness of said film strip and adapted to be rotated with said glass discs. 1

\/ 12. In a film reader, the combination with a either direction for moving the film strip through the focal plane of said objective, of a guide means between said rotatable members and including two rotatable, concentric, glass discs having opposed plane surfaces for engaging'and holding the film strip therebetween in the focal plane of said objective and adapted to be rotated upon movement of the film strip, and means between said glass discs for maintaining said discs in spaced relation at a distance slightly greater than the film strip thickness and adapted to rntate therewith and to edge guide the film strip.

13. In a film reader, the combination with a casing having a front wall and a top wall, a housing mounted on said casing and including a light source, a screen on said front wall, an objective mounted on said top wall, a mirror within said casing for directing the image projected by said objective onto said screen, a film handling means on said top wall and including two spaced, rotatable members for supporting a film strip, and

tance substantially equal to but not less than the thicknes of said film strip.

14. In a film reader, the combination with a casing having a front wall and a top wall, a hous- 10 ing mounted on said casing and including a light source, a screen on said, front wall, an objective mounted on said top wall, a mirror within said casing for directing the image projected by said objective onto said screen, a film handling means the focal plane of said objective, of a guide means between said rotatable members and including two spaced, glass discs, said glass discs being arranged upon separate axes in overlapping relationship and having opposed plane surfaces for engaging and holding the film strip therebetween in the focal plane of said objective and adapted to be rotated upon movement of the film strip, and spacing means for maintaining said plane surfaces in spaced relation at a distance substan-' tially equal to but not less than the thickness of said film strip and adapted to be rotated with said glass discs.

15. In a film reader, the combination with a casing having a front wall and a top wall, a housing mounted on said front wall, an objective mounted on said top wall, a mirror within said casing for directing the image projected by said objective onto said screen, a film handling means on said top wall and including two spaced, rotatable members for supporting a film strip, and means ,for driving said rotatable members in either direction for moving the film strip through the focal planeof said objective, of a guide means between said rotatable members and including two spaced, glass discs, said glass discs being arranged upon separate axes in overlapping relationship and having opposed plane surfaces for engaging and holding the film strip therebetween in the focal plane of said objective and adapted to be rotated upon movement of the film strip, spacing means for maintaining said plane surfaces in spaced relation at a distance substantially equal to but not less than the thickness of said film strip; and means on each axis adapted to rotate with said glass discs for edge guiding the film strip.

JOHN C. HAELEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,896,246 Owens Feb. 7, 1933 2,008,982 Hopkins July 23, 1935 2,125,582 Pratt et al. -1 Aug. 2, 1938 2,213,746 Schubert Sept. 3, 1940 2,279,463 Hopkins Apr. 14, 1942 2,377,476 Berglund June 5, 1945 2,404,189 Place July 16, 1946 2,407,009 Holbrook Sept. 3, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 460,299 Germany May 24, 1928 fiertificate of Correction, I Patent'No. 2,518,682,

. 'JOHN G. HAELEN -V It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correctionas follows:

he Column 4, 1ine-31, for the word objection read objective; line 51, for carrier readcarries; column 10, line 25, after saidand before frontf insert casing and including a light source, o screenon said; v

and that the-"said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice. v

-- Signed and sealed this 7th dayof November, A. D. 1950.

' THOMAS F. MURPHY, Y Assistant Obomnz'ssionr of Patents.

. August 15, 1950 h 

